Gunmen kill two female polio workers, policeman in Mansehra
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PESHAWAR: Gunmen on Tuesday killed two women who were members of a polio vaccination team and a police guard in Mansehra, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks on the teams.
Police said unknown gunmen fired at workers Kaneez Nargis and Farah Gul as they gave polio drops to children in Mansehra's area of Dana. Police constable Ishfaq was also killed in the attack.
Senior local police official, Akhtar Hayat, confirmed the incident and casualties.
Pakistan is one of only three countries where polio remains endemic.
Attempts to eradicate it have been badly hit by militant attacks on immunisation teams that have claimed 76 lives since December 2012.
The militants claim the polio vaccination drive is a front for espionage or a conspiracy to sterilise Muslims.
Last year, the number of polio cases recorded in Pakistan soared to 306, the highest in 14 years.
Examine: Nationwide polio campaign hits snags
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (28) Closed
Mar 17, 2015 05:05pm
At least spare the innocent polio worker...
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Mar 17, 2015 05:06pm
islam is mostly not understood by muslims.
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Mar 17, 2015 05:07pm
People 's committees should be armed under such condition ti take on such goons.
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Mar 17, 2015 05:38pm
Where is Charitable Hafiz Saeed's group?
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Mar 17, 2015 05:43pm
The way it is going, it looks like more people are getting killed than the people who are going to suffer with polio
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Mar 17, 2015 05:53pm
Again I am lost for words....There are people helping save lives and performing selfless deeds....and then these animals trying to destroy in the good name of Islam.....I hope they are found and punished to the full extent of the law.
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Mar 17, 2015 06:30pm
The polio workers are the real and brave soul of Pakistan...otherwise who would endanger their life for the future of their country...the kids.... RIP
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Mar 17, 2015 06:34pm
I don't understand why militants are targeting polio workers. Polio vaccination helps people. Is there any un-islamic in polio vaccination?
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Mar 17, 2015 06:55pm
Why can't polio workers be provided secure premises from which to work instead of in the open. Are the murderers ever caught?
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Mar 17, 2015 06:58pm
@Abdul Kadir Kindly stop being so overly obsessive with this nobody. It's nauseating to see this name being thrown around everywhere.
OT - It's terribly sad incident. May those brave souls rest in peace.
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Mar 17, 2015 06:58pm
Everytime I hear of polio workers being targeted, I say to myself, how difficult is it to basically seall off a village or an area where vaccination is being provided and monitor entry of every motor cycle, car, truck etc. This will basically require more secuirty personnel but it would save lives of these polio workers. We are basically setting up these polio workers to be killed.
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Mar 17, 2015 07:00pm
@indian maestro ask your Govt to stop funding TTP
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Mar 17, 2015 07:15pm
khan sahab ... mian sahab ... either of you care to take notice of this national tragedy?
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Mar 17, 2015 07:41pm
Get the real mater mind...there is more to it than meets the eye. Who want Pakistan to fail in the polio eradication campaign, and get all the bad vibes in western world.
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Mar 17, 2015 07:42pm
No words but RIP for martyrs....
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Mar 17, 2015 08:48pm
Before competing with India in arms race, wouldn't it be prudent to ensure that the kids are polio free and are able to walk straight on two legs. Between, all the kids in Kashmir have been immunized for polio, is the same true for POK ?
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Mar 17, 2015 08:57pm
Polio workers are the bravest of them all but government has failed to protect them. Some NGO should register a case against this government!
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Mar 17, 2015 09:07pm
Insanity.
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Mar 17, 2015 09:15pm
This is such sad news. Have a strong feeling, these misguided and disillusioned sycophants can not be won over by fighting, but by education and inclusion into the civil society. These folks are sick.
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Mar 17, 2015 09:48pm
Polio is a disease wiped out in nearly every country of the world EXCEPT PAKISTAN. These brave workers were giving this drug and were killed because of this. This is so shaming on both counts!
The Pakistan Federal and State governments should stop these field workers from travelling to these areas and insist on people bringing their children to safe centers to be vaccinated.
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Mar 17, 2015 09:57pm
@chetan Great comment!
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Mar 17, 2015 09:57pm
@ Chetan, great comment! very apt!
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Mar 17, 2015 10:49pm
what is happening in pak.? unbeleivable\incomprehansible!
is there any sense in killing innocent people who help you to preveny a desease?
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Mar 17, 2015 10:54pm
This is the height of jahlia
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Mar 17, 2015 11:44pm
the polio workers should be escorted by army at the first place not police. These islamists will not even hesitate to kill minors like we saw countless times before. Army is the only answer to these corrupted people.
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Mar 18, 2015 12:02am
what these brutes want? A handicapped Pakistan?
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Mar 18, 2015 12:40am
I just do not understand, why they do have also under cover officers plus the uniform officer with the workers, so they kill these target killers and find the people who are funding and sending these people.
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Mar 18, 2015 02:47am
@ABHAI SHARMA There is no POK. We are not fighting the local population, we are of one faith, one language and have families across the border.
Why are there 695,000 Indian troops in Kashmir? That is on soldier for every 17 kashmiri.
There is Indian occupation of Kashmir as evidenced by the number of soldiers you have there. Why don't you remove the soldiers and let the people choose?
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